Personal Injury
Robert S. Arns
Founding Partner

Robert S. Arns is the founder of The Arns Law Firm, a 10 lawyer plaintiffs’ firm with offices in San Francisco and Reno. Bob has worked exclusively in prosecuting plaintiff cases:
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Consumer class actions, including wage and hour, independent contractor misclassification, banking, privacy, and any issue where a consumer has been ripped off by a company
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Representing families in individual cases involving catastrophic injuries, death, and other matters
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On the job injuries, including construction site injuries
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Catastrophic automobile incidents
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Defective product cases
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Electrocution
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Unsafe conditions of premises
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Equipment failure
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Elder abuse
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Sexual assault and abuse
Bob always introduces himself as a “family lawyer.” He has represented families across the United States in class actions or where the bread winner of the family or a loved one has suffered a tragic death or catastrophic injury. To Bob, “family lawyer” does not mean a lawyer who represents people going through a divorce. Rather, a “family lawyer” is a lawyer who has the grave responsibility of regaining the family dignity that existed before the tragedy, and giving the family their economic freedom back.
Some of Bob’s accomplishments include:
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Resolving over $1 Billion of paid results for plaintiffs through trials and settlements
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Obtaining for plaintiffs seven-figure and eight-figure verdicts and settlements too numerous to list
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San Francisco Trial Lawyer Association’s Trial Lawyer of the Year award recipient, and finalist many times
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Finalist for The Consumer Attorneys of California Trial Lawyer of the Year many times
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Taught trial practice as an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law for 18 years - Professor of the Year in 2010
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USF Law School Alumni of the Year in 2009
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Graduated USF School of Law 1975, where he received full scholarship and graduated in the top 5% of the class, managing editor of The University of San Francisco Law Review, and moot court champion
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Graduated UC Santa Barbara Summa Cum Laude 1971 with a degree in English Literature
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Author of the best-selling Rutter Group publications The Evidence Wheel and The Trial Wheel – both California and Federal versions – which are used by trial lawyers and judges throughout the United States
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Presented ABOTA Masters of Trial (also called “ABOTA: The Best of the Best Trial Lawyers”) numerous times as well as frequently presented the ABOTA Civility seminar
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Presenter of too many seminars to mention regarding trial practice, evidence, and numerous other subjects
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Putting himself through high school and college by working in a grocery store
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Bringing meritorious lawsuits for amazing families from undocumented immigrants to CEOs of Fortune 40 Corporations – and having the gratification of knowing The Arns Law Firm provided economic security for their families
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Bob has many prized possessions he has received from his clients after the resolution of their cases. One of his most cherished possessions is a beautiful eagle sculpture which reads, "Thank you for giving our family freedom.”
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Owner of The Arns Law Firm buildings in San Francisco and Reno
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The San Francisco office includes a mock trial facility allowing the attorneys to present cases to 36 mock jurors, and break up into three separate deliberation rooms with video feeds (one of the deliberation rooms is also viewable through a one-way mirror)
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Bob’s other interests include:
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Ownership of Tournesol Winery in Napa growing grapes and producing Bordeaux style wines
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Real estate ventures including the Arns Law building in San Francisco, Baranof Wilderness Fly Fishing Lodge in Alaska, and numerous other residential and commercial properties
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Staying fit at any cost, golf, cycling, fly fishing, and any outdoor activities
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Being with family as much as possible – and friends after that
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Philanthropy focusing on the art of giving back in academic, athletic, legal aid, food banks, and other ways to enrich the community
Bob is very fortunate to have total balance in life because of his wife, Anne, his son, daughter, their spouses, and his five grandkids – who are amazing beyond comprehension – and because of the great lawyers and legal assistants at The Arns Law Firm
Practice Areas
Construction Injury
Wage & Hour
Personal Injury
Consumer Law
Elder Abuse
Education
University of San Francisco School of Law (1975)
Juris Doctor, cum laude
University of California, Santa Barbara (1971)
B.A. English Literature, Highest Honors
Highlights
America's Top 100 Attorneys Lifetime Achievement Award
The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Civil Plaintiffs Lawyers
AV Preeminent Rating by Martin-Hubbell
San Francisco Trial Lawyer of the Year
California Trial Lawyer of the Year
"Top 100” Super Lawyers in Northern California
The Best Lawyers in America©
Best-selling author of Rutter Group's The California Evidence Wheel©; The California Trial Wheel©; The Federal Evidence Wheel©; and The Federal Trial Wheel©
University of San Francisco School of Law Professor of the Year and Co-Alumni of the Year
Selected Publications and Presentations
August 2017: SFTLA MCLE “Trial Skills”
December 2017: Bar Association of San Francisco, “Civility Matters”, San Francisco
November 2017: Alameda County Bar Association MCLE, “Trial Persuasion”
September 2017: Northern California Laborers, “Modified Duty”
August 2016: SeminarWeb Live – “Becoming an Evidence Master”
November 2015: SFTLA MCLE “Presenting Evidence Practicum”
August 2014: SFTLA MCLE, “Evidence in Trial”
July 2014: SeminarWeb Live – “How to be Successful At Obtaining and Maximizing Non-Economic Damages”